As your electric cooperative, LPEA remains committed to delivering reliable, affordable power while working toward a cleaner energy future. One of our key goals under that mission is to reduce our carbon emissions by 50% from 2018 levels by 2030 while keeping our members’ cost of electricity lower than 70% of our Colorado cooperative peers. To put that into perspective, when we set that goal in 2018 our carbon emissions were about 1,577 pounds of CO₂ per megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity used. By 2030, we would need to be down to 788 lbs CO₂/MWh. 

Since establishing our co-op goal, the State of Colorado has adopted an even more aggressive carbon reduction requirement. Under the Colorado Clean Energy Plan (CEP), utilities must cut carbon emissions by 80% from 2005 levels by 2030, which equates to a carbon intensity target of 430 lbs of CO₂ per megawatt hour (MWh) for us here at LPEA . 

We’re committed to meeting these standards while keeping the impact on our members top-of-mind.  

Our current emissions are around 1,180 lbs CO₂/MWh—down 25% from 2018. To surpass our goal and meet Colorado’s CEP standards, we’ll need to cut that by more than half over the next few years. With our biggest shift coming in April 2026 as we start sourcing power independently, we’ll be right on track. The power portfolio we have planned for our bridge period (2026-2028) will play a huge role in getting us closer to our 2030 emissions requirements. 

On April 1 2026, we will exit our long-term exclusive contract with Tri-State and will begin to purchase power from a combination of renewable sources, local generation projects, and market partners. This includes solar, hydro, waste-heat recovery, and other resources that reduce our carbon footprint. 

With this diversified power mix, emissions are projected to drop during the bridge period from today’s 1,180 lbs CO₂/MWh to 668 lbs CO₂/MWh in 2027, with the further necessary reductions planned through 2030. 

We understand that cost and reliability are top concerns for our members—and we share those priorities. That’s why we’re taking a balanced approach: adding cleaner energy sources while carefully managing cost and risk. Our goal is to deliver reliable, affordable power, just as we always have—but with a cleaner more diverse energy mix. 

We’ll continue to update you as the transition unfolds. As always, thank you for being part of the cooperative powering progress in our community.